Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee

Minutes of meeting held in public session on Wednesday, 26 June 2002 in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry

1. Minutes of last meeting
2. Statutory Rules the Department intends to make
3. Statutory Rules Laid in the Assembly
4. Presentation by Roads Service on Prioritisation of Bids
5. Strategic Planning Bill
6. Executive's Position Report
7. Refusal of Planning Permission
8. Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (NI) 2002
9. Public Expenditure - 2002 / 03 June Monitoring Round
10. Grass Cutting Policy Review
11. Seminar Day - September 2002
12. Ulsterbus / Citybus Employees Pensions Letter
13. Any Other Business
14. Date of Next Meeting

Present were:
Mr A Maginness (Chairman)
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr J Byrne
Mr P McNamee
Mr M Robinson

Apologies:
Mr A McFarland (Deputy Chairman)
Mr D Ervine
Mr W Hay
Mr R Hutchinson
Mr G Savage

Absent:
Mr D Hussey

In Attendance:
Mr L Barr (Committee Clerk)
Mr N Currie (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Miss C Lagan (Executive Support)
Miss K Davidson (Executive Support)
Mrs S Young (Administrative Support)

The meeting was called to order at 10:48am.

The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, expressed his condolences to the Deputy Chairman on the death of his father.

1. Minutes of last meeting

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 June 2002 were agreed.

2. Statutory Rules the Department intends to make

a) The Committee noted three Statutory Rules which the Department intends to make, but which will not be laid in the Assembly.

b) The Committee considered the Statutory Rules:

Proposed Route U1361 Lakeview Road, Craigavon (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002

Proposed Carnegie Street, Etc., Lurgan (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002

Proposed Route B72 Derry Road, Strabane (Abandonment and Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002

Proposed Hibernia Street, Holywood (Footway) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002

The Department intends to make these rules which are subject to negative resolution.

Agreed: The Committee agreed the course of action proposed in the rules.

3. Statutory Rules Laid in the Assembly

The Committee considered seven Statutory Rules, subject to negative resolution, which have been made and laid in the Assembly.

4. Presentation by Roads Service on Prioritisation of Bids

Mr David Orr, Mr John White and Mr Roddy Crilly from Roads Service joined the meeting at 10:55am. They gave a presentation and answered members' questions on how Roads Service prioritises and allocates resources in its structural maintenance programme.

The Chairman thanked the officials for the presentation and they left the meeting at 11.39am.

5. Strategic Planning Bill

Agreed:
a) The Committee agreed an extension of the Committee stage and that the Chairman would put down the following motion:

"Proposed: That in accordance with Standing Order 31(5) the period referred to in Standing Order 31(3) be extended to 25 November 2002 in relation to the Committee Stage of the Strategic Planning Bill (NIA 17/01)"

b) To invite written submissions from a number of interested groups.

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Frank Feely, Chairman of Newry and Mourne District Council to the meeting.

Councillor Feely welcomed the Committee to Newry.

6. Executive's Position Report

The Committee discussed the draft letter of response to the Chairman of the Finance and Personnel Committee.

Agreed:
The Committee agreed the letter to the Chairman of the Finance and Personnel Committee. Given that many of the questions posed in section two of the Executive Position Report addressed a number of issues not related to Regional Development, the Committee did not think it appropriate to respond to these questions. It would however, forward a copy of its response to the Chairman of the Finance and Personnel Committee to OFMDFM.

7. Refusal of Planning Permission due to Capacity of Waste Water Treatment Works

Agreed: The Committee agreed to defer the matter until next week's meeting.

8. Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (NI) 2002

The Committee discussed a letter from the Clerk of the Environment Committee, along with the Environment Committee's response to the Department of the Environment's consultation document.

Agreed: As a number of issues have implications for DRD, it was agreed to send the correspondence to the Department for comment.

9. Public Expenditure - 2002 / 03 June Monitoring Round

The Committee noted the contents of the bids that had been submitted to the Department of Finance and Personnel in relation to the June Monitoring Round.

10. Grass Cutting Policy Review

The Committee noted the Department's response to its request for additional information on the Grass Cutting Policy review.

Agreed: The Committee was generally content with the findings of the review, although it did express concern that the policy review had not been completed and implemented earlier.

11. Seminar Day - September 2002

Agreed: The Committee agreed to discuss the matter at next week's meeting.

12. Ulsterbus / Citybus Employees Pensions Letter

The Committee discussed a letter which raised concerns over the method under which Pensions were paid to retired Ulsterbus / Citybus employees.

Agreed: To write to Translink about this matter.

13. Any Other Business

a) Ballynahinch By-Pass

The Committee discussed a letter from the Ballynahinch Regeneration By-Pass Committee, seeking help from the Committee to obtain a by-pass around Ballynahinch and inviting Committee Members to a meeting on 05 July 2002.

Agreed:
a) As previously agreed by the Committee, such issues of a local constituency nature are best considered in the first instance by locally elected representatives. Individual members if they so wished could attend in a personnel capacity.

b) To write to the Department about it plans for a by-pass and respond to the Ballynahinch Regeneration By-pass Committee.

b) Opening of Derg Waste Water Treatment Works

The Chairman informed the Committee that the Minister is opening the Derg Waste Water Treatment Works on Friday, 28 June 2002 and advised that Members are welcome to attend.

14. Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 03 July 2002 in room 135, Parliament Buildings. As a Plenary sitting of the Assembly is scheduled for 3 July, the time of the meeting will be confirmed as soon as possible.

The meeting adjourned at 12:03pm